1. Introduction to career guidance – Workshop III
Presentation at Ain Shams University
Cairo, Egypt
29th November 2017
Tristram Hooley

2. Overview
Today we are going to look at some of the theories that underpin career guidance.
These theories seek to explain how people’s careers ‘work’ and each suggests different approaches for career guidance.
The different theorists disagree with each other – so you will have to decide which theories are most useful to you and your clients.

3. Theories make things simple
It can scarcely be denied that the supreme goal of all theory is to make the irreducible basic elements as simple and as few as possible without having to surrender the adequate representation of a single datum of experience. Albert Einstein - On the Method of Theoretical Physics, the Herbert Spencer Lecture, Oxford, June 10, 1933.

4. important career theories
Matching/ trait and factor theories
Developmental theories
Structuralism
Narrative theories
Theories of social justice

6. FRANK Parsons’ method
In the wise choice of a vocation there are three broad factors:
a clear understanding of yourself, your aptitudes, abilities, interests, ambitions, resources, limitations and their causes;
a knowledge of the requirements, and conditions of success, advantages and disadvantages, compensation, opportunities and prospects in different lines of work;
true reasoning on the relations of these two groups of facts.

8. John Holland and RIASEC
“…people tend to act on their dominant interests and seek occupations in which their interests can be expressed.”
(Holland 1996: 400)
Which type best describes you?

9. Jobs associated with HOLLAND TYPES
Realistic
Carpenter
Diesel Mechanic
Farmer
Fire Fighter
Flight Engineer
Forester
Locksmith
Pilot
Police Officer
Truck Driver
Investigative
Biologist
Chemist
Computer Programmer
Dentist
Electrical Engineer
Mathematician
Medical Technician
Meteorologist
Pharmacist
Physician
Artistic
Actor
Art Teacher
Book Editor
Clothes Designer
Comedian
Composer
Dancer
Disk Jockey
Graphic Designer
Musician
Social
Athletic Trainer
Counsellor
Dental Hygienist
Librarian
Nurse
Parole Officer
Physical Therapist
Social Worker
Teacher
Enterprising
Auctioneer
Bank President
Camp Director
City Manager
Customs Inspector
Hotel Manager
Judge
Lawyer
Real Estate Agent
School Principal
TV Newscaster
Conventional
Bank Teller
Bookkeeper
Court Clerk
Mail Carrier
Post Office Clerk
Secretary
Timekeeper
Title Examiner
Typist

10. Discussion What do you think about these matching theories?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
How could you/do you use them with your clients?

11. Developmentalism

12. Windmills – What Day of the Week is it?
Sunday 0-12 years
Monday years
Tuesday years
Wednesday years
Thursday years
Friday years
Saturday years
Sunday 85+

13. Ginzberg et al.’s life stages
Fantasy (up to 11)
Tentative (11-17)
Interest
Capacity
Value
Realistic (17 onwards)
Exploration
Crystallisation
Specification

14. Super’s life/career rainbow

15. Discussion What do you think about these developmental theories?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
How could you/do you use them with your clients?

16. Structuralism

17. Paul Willis People make very few career choices.
They work within the structures that they are presented with.
This offers the illusion of choice and even of resistance. But actually most people end up following very predictable career paths.

18. Ken Roberts and ‘opportunity structure’
What is the role for career guidance within these constraints?

19. Discussion What do you think about these structural theories?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
How could you use them with your clients?

20. narrative Theories

21. Life design
People use stories to organize their lives, construct their identities, and make sense of their problems. Clients enter counseling with a story to tell about some transition. The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. By holding those stories in the relationship, counselors enable clients to reflect on their lives. Dwelling in their own stories often destabilizes old ideas that block decision making and usually enables an awareness that prompts a choice. As clients give voice to their stories, they hear what they already know and find the answers which they seek. Mark Savickas

22. Law’s 3 scene story boarding

23. Exercise: Draw a 3 scene storyboard of a career decision that you have made
The big scene – when things changed
The following scene – how things are different
The opening scene – the way things were
What have you learnt by viewing your decision as a narrative?
What can you transfer to your next decision?
How can you control your story and make a turning point?

24. Discussion What do you think about these narrative theories?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
How could you use them with your clients?

25. Theories of social justice

26. Tony WATTS - Socio-political ideologies of guidance
Radical (social change)
Progressive (individual change)
Conservative (social control)
Liberal (non-directive)

27. Key ideas Careers emerge out of context
The fate of individuals is linked to their community
Power organises life chances
Solutions need to move people forwards both individually and collectively
People should learn more about how the world works (even if it is unfair) and their position within it

28. 5 questions career guidance should ask
Who am I?
How does the world work?
Where do I fit into the world?
How can I live with others?
How do I go about changing the world?

29. Discussion
What do you think about these social justice focused theories?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of them?
How could you use them with your clients?

30. References
Amundson, N. E., Mills, L. M., & Smith, B. A. (2014). Incorporating chaos and paradox into career development. Australian Journal of Career Development, 23(1),
Blustein, D. (2013). The Psychology of Working. London: Routledge.
Ginzberg, E., Ginsburg, S. W., Axelrad, S., & Herma, J. L. (1951). Occupational choice: An approach to a general theory. New York: Columbia University Press.
Holland, J.L. (1997). Making vocational choices
Hooley, T. (2015). Emancipate Yourselves from Mental Slavery: Self-Actualisation, Social Justice and the Politics of Career Guidance. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
Hooley, T. and Sultana, R. (2016). Career guidance for social justice. Journal of the National Institute for Career Education and Counselling, 36, 2-11.
Hooley, T., Sultana, R.G. and Thomsen, R. (2017). The neoliberal challenge to career guidance - mobilising research, policy and practice around social justice. In Hooley, T., Sultana, R.G. and Thomsen, R. (Eds.) Career guidance for social justice: Contesting neoliberalism. London: Routledge.
McIlveen, P. (2014). Hope-narratives as a chaos theory of career intervention for failure. Australian Journal of Career Development, 23(1),
Parsons, F. (1909). Choosing a Vocation.
Pryor, R. and Bright, J. (2011). The Chaos Theory of Careers. London: Routledge.

31. More references
Reid, H., & West, L. (2014). Telling Tales: Do Narrative Approaches for Career Counseling Count?. In Handbook of career development (pp ). Springer New York.
Roberts, K. (1977). The social conditions, consequences and limitations of career guidance’, British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 5, 1-9.
Savickas, M.L. (2015). Life Design Counseling Manual. Available at [Accessed 11th January 2017]
Super, D.E. (1990) A life-span, life-space approach to career development. In Brown, D. Brooks, L. & Associates (Eds.). Career Choice and Development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp
Thomsen, R. (2012). Career Guidance in Communities. Aarhus, Denmar: Aarhus University Press.
Thomsen, R. (2017). Career Guidance in Communities: A Model for Reflexive Practice. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
Thrift, E., and Amundson, N. (2005). Hermeneutic-narrative approach to career counselling: An alternative to postmodernism. Perspectives in Education, 23(2),
Watson, M. B., and McMahon, M. L. (2005). Postmodern (narrative) career counselling and education. Perspectives in Education, 23(2), vii-ix.
Hooley, T. and Barham, L. (Eds.). (2015). Career Development Policy and Practice: The Tony Watts Reader. Stafford: Highflyers.
Willis, P. (1977). Learning to labour. Farnborough: Saxon House.
Windmills. (2013).

32. In Summary Career theory asks BIG questions about how the world works.
It asks us to think about how individuals build their careers and what psychological and social forces act on this.
There is no one right answer. But thinking about theory can help to inform our practice and our research.

33. Tristram Hooley
Director of Research, The Careers & Enterprise Company/ Professor of Career Education, University of Derby/ Professor II, Inland Norway University of Applied Science
@pigironjoe
Blog at